Steaming device for oven

ABSTRACT

A steaming device for an oven including a water supply unit for supplying drinking water, a boiler chamber for heating the drinking water supplied from the water supply unit while performing a secondary heating operation for heating steam flowing through a main steam supply pipe extending through at least one of through holes provided at a heat exchanger installed in the boiler chamber, thereby generating and supplying steam of a higher temperature, a cooking chamber for receiving the higher-temperature steam from the main steam supply pipe of the boiler chamber, thereby cooking food, a burner for heating the heat exchanger of the boiler chamber, and a control panel for controlling the burner. In accordance with this configuration, it is possible to supply steam of a high temperature, thereby achieving cooking of food such as steamed food, and to rapidly cook a large amount of food.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a steaming device for an oven, and moreparticularly to a steaming device for an oven which is capable ofgenerating steam of a high temperature, thereby cooking diverse foods.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, cooking facilities using steam are installed in schools, armycamps, and large-scale establishments in order to collectively providemeals.

For such cooking facilities, there have been known various facilitiesfrom a small-scale one capable of cooking food for 20 to 30 persons atone time to a large-scale one capable of cooking food for severalhundred persons at one time.

However, such conventional cooking facilities using steam cannot obtainsteam of 100° C. or more even in the case in which a complete thermalinsulation is provided, so that they have a problem in that theefficiency of cooking is degraded.

In particular, such a limited temperature of steam causes an excessivelyprolonged cooking time. Furthermore, there is a problem in that cookingof particular food such as steamed food cannot be achieved.

On the other hand, in the case of a conventional large-scale cookingfacility using steam, a considerable degradation in cooking efficiencyoccurs due to the limited steam temperature. In this case, waste ofenergy also occurs.

In addition, the conventional cooking facilities using steam have adrawback in that the taste of the cooked food is degraded due to thelimited steam temperature, thereby causing the quality of the cookedfood to be degraded. For this reason, users tend to avoid such cookingfacilities using steam in accordance with a bias against those cookingfacilities using steam.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a steaming devicefor an oven which can supply steam of a high temperature, therebyachieving cooking of food such as steamed food.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steaming device for anoven which can obtain a maximum energy using efficiency to minimize theconsumption of energy, thereby reducing expenses generated in accordancewith the use thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steaming device for anoven which can preserve the taste and smell of the food being cooked inan optimal state, thereby producing a cooked food product having a goodquality.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steaming device for anoven which is inexpensive, to obtain excellent economic effects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steaming device for anoven which can rapidly cook a large amount of food.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steaming device for anoven which can eliminate a consumer's bias against food cooked withsteam.

These objects are accomplished by providing a steaming device for anoven comprising: a water supply unit for supplying drinking water; aboiler chamber for heating the drinking water supplied from the watersupply unit while performing a secondary heating operation for heatingsteam flowing through a main steam supply pipe extending through atleast one of through holes provided at a heat exchanger installed in theboiler chamber, thereby generating and supplying steam of a highertemperature; a cooking chamber for receiving the higher-temperaturesteam from the main steam supply pipe of the boiler chamber, therebycooking food; a burner for heating the heat exchanger of the boilerchamber; and a control panel for controlling the burner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects, and other features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent after a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of a steamingdevice for an oven according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a boiler part of the steamingdevice according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the boiler part of the steamingdevice according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the boiler part of the steamingdevice according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of a steamingdevice for an oven according to another embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a boiler part of the steamingdevice according to the another embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the annexed drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of a steamingdevice for an oven according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a boiler part of the steamingdevice. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the boiler part of thesteaming device. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the boiler part ofthe steaming device. FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating theconfiguration of a steaming device for an oven according to anotherembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective viewillustrating a boiler part of the steaming device according to theanother embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the steaming device, which is any one of theembodiments of the present invention, and is denoted by the referencenumeral 100, basically includes a water supply unit 110 for supplyingdrinking water, and a boiler chamber 120 for heating the drinking watersupplied from the water supply unit 110 while performing a secondaryheating operation for heating steam flowing through a main steam supplypipe 123 extending through at least one of through holes 122 provided ata heat exchanger 121 installed in the boiler chamber 120, therebygenerating and supplying steam of a higher temperature. The steamingdevice 100 also includes a cooking chamber 130 for receiving the hotsteam from the main steam supply pipe 123 of the boiler chamber 120,thereby cooking food, a burner 140 for heating the heat exchanger 121 ofthe boiler chamber 120, and a control panel 150 for controlling theburner 140.

The water supply unit 110 includes an auxiliary tank 112, a water supplypipe 111 connected to the auxiliary tank 112 at one side of theauxiliary tank 112 to supply drinking water to the auxiliary tank 112,and a connecting pipe 113 connected between the auxiliary tank 112 andthe boiler chamber 120 at the other side of the auxiliary tank 112 tosupply the drinking water from the auxiliary tank 112 to the boilerchamber 120. A drain pipe 114 is connected to the bottom of theauxiliary tank 112 in order to externally drain the drinking water fromthe auxiliary tank 112 if desired.

A ball tap may be mounted in the auxiliary tank 112 in order to maintainthe drinking water at a desired level in the auxiliary tank 112.

In the boiler chamber 120, the main steam supply pipe 123 extends, at aninlet end thereof, through a selected one of the through holes 122provided at the heat exchanger 121 in such a fashion that the outersurface of the main steam supply pipe 123 is in close contact with theinner surface of the selected through hole 122. The inlet end of themain steam supply pipe 123, which is inserted into the interior of theboiler chamber 120, is positioned at the upper portion of the boilerchamber 120, whereas the outlet end of the main steam supply pipe 123 iscommunicated with the cooking chamber 130 to which hot steam is to besupplied. When the drinking water supplied to the interior of the boilerchamber 120 is heated, thereby generating steam, the generated steam isintroduced into the main steam supply pipe 123 through the inlet end ofthe main steam supply pipe 123. The introduced steam is secondarilyheated while passing through the heat exchanger 121 again along the mainsteam supply pipe 123. Thus, steam of a higher temperature is suppliedto the cooking chamber 130.

In particular, the main steam supply pipe 123, which is an essentialconfiguration of the present invention, is not limited, in terms of itsstructure, by the shape or size of the heat exchanger 121. That is, themain steam supply pipe 123 may have diverse structures irrespective ofthe shape or structure of the boiler in so far as it can feed again theinitially generated steam to the heat exchanger 121 to secondarily heatthe steam, thereby obtaining steam of a higher temperature.

The main steam supply pipe 123 may extend through a desired number ofthrough holes 122 in the heat exchanger 121. Preferably, the main steamsupply pipe 123 extends through one or two through holes in order toallow the drinking water to be effectively heated in the boiler chamber120.

In order to allow only steam to be supplied into the main steam supplypipe 123, a level sensor 125 is installed in the boiler chamber 120 forcontrolling the level of the drinking water in the boiler chamber 120.By the level sensor 125, the drinking water in the boiler chamber 120can be maintained at a desired level.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, anauxiliary steam supply pipe 124 may be connected to the top of theboiler chamber 120 so that it is directly communicated with the boilerchamber 120, as shown in FIG. 6. The auxiliary steam supply pipe 124serves to allow a selection of a desired steam temperature according tofood to be cooked.

In this case, it is preferred that the main and auxiliary steam supplypipes 123 and 124 are connected to the cooking chamber 130 via a 3-wayvalve so that they selectively supply steam, as shown in FIG. 5.

A drain pipe 126 is connected to a lower portion of the boiler chamber120 at one side of the boiler chamber 120. The drain pipe 126 may becommunicated with the drain pipe 114 of the auxiliary tank 112. In thiscase, it is desirable to install a check valve 127 at the drain pipe 114of the auxiliary tank 112, thereby preventing the heated drinking waterfrom flowing backwards into the auxiliary tank 112.

The cooking chamber 130 may have diverse shapes and diverse steaminjection structures while using diverse steam injection methods.

For example, the cooking chamber 130 may have a vertically or laterallydivided structure, or a multi-stage structure. The supply of steam inthe cooking chamber 130 may be carried out in an upward, downward,inward, or rearward direction, or in combined directions thereof.

Preferably, a temperature sensor 131 is installed in the cooking chamber130 in order to set a cooking temperature according to the food to becooked, and to control the cooking temperature at intervals of time.

For the burner 140, conventional burners may be used. However, it ispreferable that the burner 140, suitably connected to burner fuel supply141, comprises a burner configured to use flammable gas, taking intoconsideration generation of fumes and bad smell.

The control panel 150 is electrically connected to the burner 140 via anignition line 151 to control the ignition, heat, and operating time ofthe burner 140 in accordance with a set cooking temperature and time.Thus, optimal cooking procedures can be carried out.

Now, the operation of the steaming device according to the presentinvention will be described.

Under the condition in which food to be cooked has been washed, andseasoned, appropriate amounts of the food are sequentially stacked inthe cooking chamber 130. Thereafter, a desired steaming temperature anda desired steaming time are selected based on the food to be cooked,using the control panel 150. The burner 140 is then ignited.

As the burner 140 is ignited, the heat exchanger 121 is heated, therebyheating the drinking water in the boiler chamber 120.

When the drinking water in the boiler chamber 120 is completely boiled,steam is generated. This initial steam passes through the heat exchanger121 again via the main steam supply pipe 123, so that it is secondarilyheated. Thus, steam of a higher temperature is supplied to the cookingchamber 130.

Accordingly, it is possible to not only effectively achieve cooking ofsteamed food or the like, but also to rapidly cook any food.

Industrial Applicability

As apparent from the above description, the steaming device 100 for anoven according to the present invention has a configuration includingthe water supply unit 110 for supplying drinking water, the boilerchamber 120 for heating the drinking water supplied from the watersupply unit 110 while performing a secondary heating operation forheating steam flowing through the main steam supply pipe 123 extendingthrough at least one of the through holes 122 provided at the heatexchanger 121, thereby generating and supplying steam of a highertemperature, the cooking chamber 130 for receiving the hot steam fromthe main steam supply pipe 123 of the boiler chamber 120, therebycooking food, the burner 140 for heating the heat exchanger 121 of theboiler chamber 120, and the control panel 150 for controlling the burner140. In accordance with this configuration, it is possible to supplysteam of a high temperature, thereby achieving cooking of food such assteamed food, to minimize the consumption of energy, thereby reducingexpenses generated in accordance with the use thereof, to preserve thetaste and smell of the food being cooked in an optimal state, therebyproducing a cooked food product having a good quality, and to rapidlycook a large amount of food.

1. A steaming device for an oven comprising: a water supply unit forsupplying drinking water; a boiler chamber for heating the drinkingwater supplied from the water supply unit while performing a secondaryheating operation for heating steam flowing through a main steam supplypipe extending through at least one of through holes provided at a heatexchanger installed in the boiler chamber, thereby generating andsupplying steam of a higher temperature; a cooking chamber for receivingthe higher-temperature steam from the main steam supply pipe of theboiler chamber, thereby cooking food; a burner for heating the heatexchanger of the boiler chamber; and a control panel for controlling theburner.
 2. The steaming device according to claim 1, wherein the watersupply unit comprises an auxiliary tank, a water supply pipe connectedto the auxiliary tank at one side of the auxiliary tank to supplydrinking water to the auxiliary tank, a connecting pipe connectedbetween the auxiliary tank and the boiler chamber at the other side ofthe auxiliary tank to supply the drinking water from the auxiliary tankto the boiler chamber; and a drain pipe connected to the bottom of theauxiliary tank, and means for maintaining the drinking water at adesired level in the auxiliary tank.
 3. The steaming device according toclaim 1, wherein the main steam supply pipe extends, at an inlet endthereof, through the at least one of the through holes so that an outersurface of the main steam supply pipe is in close contact with an innersurface of the at least one of the through holes, and the inlet end ofthe main steam supply pipe is positioned at an upper portion of theboiler chamber, whereas an outlet end of the main steam supply pipe iscommunicated with the cooking chamber to which hot steam is to besupplied, so that the steam introduced into the main steam supply pipethrough the inlet end of the main steam supply pipe is secondarilyheated while passing through the heat exchanger again along the mainsteam supply pipe, thereby causing the cooking chamber to be suppliedwith steam of a higher temperature.
 4. The steaming device according toclaim 1, wherein the boiler chamber is provided with a level sensor forcontrolling a level of the drinking water in the boiler chamber so thatthe drinking water in the boiler chamber is maintained at a desiredlevel for allowing only steam to be supplied into the main steam supplypipe.
 5. The steaming device according to any one of claims 1, 3, and 4,further comprising: an auxiliary steam supply pipe connected to the topof the boiler chamber so that it is directly communicated with theboiler chamber.